Late runs lift Oregon over Cal 3-2 in Pac-12

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Jacob Walsh drove in Tanner Smith with a sacrifice fly for the second run in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift Oregon to a 3-2 win over California to cap the first day of round-robin play in the Pac-12 Tournament on Tuesday night.

Josh Mollerus allowed a single in the ninth but got a game-ending double play for his ninth save for the Ducks. Logan Mercado (5-2), Oregon’s fifth pitcher, faced four batters and struck out two to get the win.

The ninth-seeded Bears (24-27), who didn’t secure their spot in the tournament until the last day of the regular season, face top-seeded and third-ranked Stanford on Wednesday and the Ducks (34-20) play the Cardinal on Thursday.

Sabin Ceballos singled to open the bottom of the eighth and Tanner Smith advanced pinch runner Bryce Boettcher to third with a double to right field. Boettcher scored when Drew Smith reached base on an error by shortstop Carson Crawford with Tanner Smith going to third.

Caleb Lomavita had a sacrifice fly in the first and Dom Souta an RBI single in the second for the Bears, who only had three hits over the last seven innings.

Bennett Thompson drove in Tanner. Smith with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the second for the first run for the Ducks, who had 11 but — 10 of them singles – but went 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position and left nine on base.

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